From Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeighAs expected, former Kentucky Sen. Dan Kelly of Springfield has been chosen to fill a vacant circuit judgeship that serves Green, Marion, Taylor and Washington counties.
It was no surprise Friday when former Senate Majority Leader Dan Kelly’s name was one of three recommended by a judicial nominating commission to fill the vacant judgeship. And, as expected, Gov. Beshear has chosen Kelly for the post. Beshear, a Democrat, makes no apologies for choosing a Republican. “You know, political philosophy really doesn’t figure into a circuit judge’s job. You need to be a good lawyer. You need to have courtroom experience. You need to understand the judicial system and you need to be fair minded,” Beshear said.Kelly has now officially resigned from the Senate, and Gov. Beshear has set December 8th as the date for a special election to fill his seat. Republican Rep. Jimmy Higdon and former Rep. Jodie Haydon, a Democrat, have already filed to run for the post.
